Web links for 27th April 2012

The Northern Ireland Commissioner for children and young people's assessment of the Welfare Reform Act and the other welfare reforms concludes:
"The incomes of families with children in Northern Ireland have already been badly affected by welfare reforms introduced since 2010, with consequent lowering of living standards for those in the bottom half of society. Those families face a further drop in living standards over the coming three years and the Assembly needs to move to protect families with children in any way it can."
Northern Ireland has a relatively large proportion of households with children and higher levels of disability, so it will be especially hard hit.
The document also includes a useful timeline for welfare reforms affecting families with children since 2010.